Recently, I was feeling overwhelmed by a personal struggle. It had to do with visiting a place of pain in my past. I didn't go there intentionally, - circumstances just developed that took me there. I experienced guilt and shame and brokenness again as I lingered in this place of desolation. Regrets started to swell up again with my soul.
I believe there will always be areas of our lives, that need to be yielded to God's will, over and over again, ...emotions of the heart, thoughts of the mind, actions of the flesh, that will follow closely behind us like dark shadows tempting us as we press into a deeper walk with the Lord. The enemy will become more skilled at tripping us up. His strategy has to keep evolving, because we are forever changing into the likeness of Christ.
Without the struggle and spiritual wrestling, I cannot discover God's wisdom, grace, or peace. It is in the storms of the sea that I look around and discover that He is with me in the boat.
It is in my complete act of submission to his will for my life that I let go of regrets which have hung around my ankles like weights. The haunting cries that I could have done things differently. The regrets which keep me locked into memories and shame of the past, and keep me from living life to the fullest in the present.
I have moved beyond the stagnant place of regret in my life. I have grown beyond it's grip. I am embracing with whole heart the opportunities that lie before me to give my life entirely to Christ...to allow my soul to be stretched to contain more of his presence within me.
Today, I find myself thanking God for that particular struggle because I know the memory of the past has shown me that I am an overcomer in Christ and I can move beyond what was meant to destroy me. God's grace is forever surrounding me. His mercy is a friend to me.
"My soul has grown because it has been awakened to the goodness and love of God." (Jerry Sittser, "A Grace Disguised")
No comments:
Post a Comment